Does Booming Blade Work With Spiritual Weapon? A Comprehensive Guide
The question of whether Booming Blade and Spiritual Weapon can be used together is a common one among D&D 5e players, and for good reason. Both spells are powerful tools in a character’s arsenal, and understanding their interaction is crucial for optimizing combat strategies.
The direct and straightforward answer is: Yes, Booming Blade and Spiritual Weapon work together seamlessly. There is no conflict between these two spells, as they operate on different action types and have no overlapping restrictions. Let’s delve into why this is the case and explore some common misconceptions.
How Booming Blade and Spiritual Weapon Function
To fully understand their compatibility, let’s examine each spell independently:
Booming Blade
Booming Blade is a cantrip that requires the caster to make a melee weapon attack as part of its casting. When the attack hits, the target takes the normal weapon damage, and if the target moves willingly before the start of the caster’s next turn, they take additional thunder damage. Importantly, Booming Blade is cast using the Cast a Spell action.
Spiritual Weapon
Spiritual Weapon is a second-level conjuration spell. It conjures a floating, spectral weapon that you can control as a bonus action on subsequent turns. The initial casting of Spiritual Weapon takes an action, but afterwards, you only need to use a bonus action to make an attack with it.
Combining the Spells
The crucial element here is the action economy. Booming Blade requires a Cast a Spell action, while Spiritual Weapon’s attack requires a bonus action. Because they use different action types and are not restricted by casting two spells, they can be used in tandem with no rule conflicts.
On your first turn, you can use your action to cast either spell. Then, on subsequent turns, you can use your action to cast Booming Blade and your bonus action to attack with the Spiritual Weapon. Therefore, you can seamlessly use these spells together to maximize your damage output in combat.
The “Two Spells” Rule Misconception
Many players get confused by the “bonus action spell rule,” which prevents a character from casting a spell with their action and a bonus action spell on the same turn (with some exceptions). However, this rule only applies to casting a bonus action spell. Attacking with Spiritual Weapon does not count as casting the spell, but rather using its effect which requires a bonus action.
Strategic Use of Booming Blade and Spiritual Weapon
The combined power of Booming Blade and Spiritual Weapon can be incredibly effective. Here’s how you can strategically use them:
- Consistent Damage: Booming Blade provides a melee attack with extra damage, especially if the target moves, while Spiritual Weapon provides a consistent, reliable source of additional damage as a bonus action.
- Action Economy Efficiency: This combination allows you to make an action attack and a bonus action attack, effectively maximizing your damage output per turn.
- Tactical Advantage: Use Booming Blade to threaten melee opponents, and if they choose to move, they take additional damage from the thunder damage. Spiritual Weapon can then move to attack other enemies.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Here are some additional common questions about Booming Blade and its interactions with other spells and features:
1. Does Booming Blade count as a weapon attack?
Yes. Booming Blade is a spell that, as part of its effect, has the caster make an attack with a melee weapon. This is crucial for understanding its compatibility with other features and abilities.
2. Can you stack Booming Blade and Green-Flame Blade?
No. Because a character can only cast one cantrip per turn, you cannot cast both Booming Blade and Green-Flame Blade in the same round.
3. Can you combine Booming Blade and Divine Smite?
Yes. Divine Smite requires only a bonus action, which is different than Booming Blade’s action. Therefore, you can use Divine Smite and Booming Blade on the same turn.
4. Does Booming Blade work with Shadow Blade?
It’s generally accepted that it does not work due to the material component requirement of a weapon worth 1sp. The Shadow Blade is a magical weapon, and therefore cannot be used as a material component for Booming Blade.
5. Does Booming Blade work with Soul Knife?
No. Psychic Blades from the Soul Knife class do not qualify as weapons for the purposes of using Booming Blade.
6. Can you combine Shadow Blade and Green-Flame Blade?
No. The cantrips require a melee weapon worth at least 1 silver piece, and Shadow Blade doesn’t qualify.
7. Can you combine Shillelagh and Booming Blade?
Yes. You can combine Shillelagh with Booming Blade because Shillelagh affects your weapon, while Booming Blade is a cantrip spell you cast.
8. Can you do two-weapon fighting with Booming Blade?
No. Two-weapon fighting requires the Attack action, while Booming Blade uses the Cast a Spell action. You cannot make an off-hand attack after casting Booming Blade.
9. Can Booming Blade be twinned?
Yes. Booming Blade can be twinned using the sorcerer’s Twinned Spell metamagic because its range is self and it targets a single creature.
10. Can you use Booming Blade with a glaive?
Yes. You can use Booming Blade with a glaive as it is a melee weapon worth at least 1 sp.
11. Can you cast Booming Blade with Flame Blade?
No. Flame Blade uses the Attack action. The Bladesinger allows you to cast a cantrip and attack. However, they do not allow you to cast Booming Blade and use Flame Blade.
12. Does Booming Blade work with War Caster?
Yes. Booming Blade works fine with the War Caster feat, as it only requires a spell that has a range of “self”.
13. Is extra attack better than Booming Blade?
Generally, extra attack is better for consistent damage. Booming Blade excels when you need to guarantee that the enemy takes additional thunder damage.
14. Does Booming Blade work with sneak attack?
Yes. Booming Blade uses a melee weapon attack, so it is fully compatible with sneak attack, allowing you to stack their damage together.
15. Can you cast Booming Blade as a bonus action?
Yes, if you are a sorcerer, you can cast Booming Blade as a bonus action with Quicken Spell. You can also Twin Booming Blade to attack two targets.
Conclusion
Understanding the rules and mechanics of D&D 5e spells is paramount for effective gameplay. Booming Blade and Spiritual Weapon are two excellent spells that, when used together, can provide a significant boost to your combat capabilities. By understanding their interactions and how they fit within the action economy, you can use them to their maximum potential.